


Musings on Family

by SunflowerSupreme



Series: Witcher (Books) [3]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Background torture, Book: Sezon burz | Season of Storms, Deleted Scene, Gen, bastard!Dandelion, talking about childhood trauma is an excellent way to pass the time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22261627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSupreme/pseuds/SunflowerSupreme
Summary: Geralt, I have four relatives that I am currently on speaking terms with, and that includes a third cousin who doesn’t even know we’re related. I’m not allowing that number to drop to three, even if you think it’s foolish.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher (Books) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624276
Comments: 14
Kudos: 234





	Musings on Family

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished Season of Storms (so there will be mild spoilers for that) and I was really disappointed in the ending because we got virtually no resolution on what happened to Dandelion’s cousin, Ferrant. 
> 
> It’s insinuated that he’s going to be tortured and then Geralt and Dandelion just get up and leave him, which I refuse to accept as canon. Because even though Geralt clearly doesn’t think highly of Ferrant, he acknowledges that he means something to Dandelion. 
> 
> If you’ve not read Season of Storms, that’s fine. It’s not super important to the plot. 
> 
> Dandelion as a bastard is my head canon, and I’ve made up most everything about him except Ferrant.

He wasn’t at all surprised to find that Dandelion was still curled on the edge of the bed of the Royal Investigator. In ordinary circumstances, finding Dandelion in the bed of some royal clerk or another wouldn’t have been concerning at all, except that this wasn’t one of his dalliances with pretty men or women.

The Royal Investigator of Kerack was none other than Dandelion’s cousin, Ferrant de Lettenhove, and as Dandelion kept reminding Geralt, one of the few relatives that still spoke to the poet.

Geralt sat on the chair beside the bed wordlessly, waiting to see if Dandelion would acknowledge his presence. The poet had been in a bit of a snit - and Geralt couldn’t blame him, not truly - ever since they’d found Ferrant, since apparently the troubadour was of the opinion that Geralt should have known better than to run off and leave his cousin.

They’d only left at Ferrant’s request, of course, since the Royal Investigator was being ‘questioned’ by the new king about his involvement in the previous king’s death (which was absurd, of course, since the new king had been the one to kill the old one).

It seemed that the new king’s favorite method of _interrogation_ involved starvation, whips, and brands.

It also seemed that Ferrant had been found innocent, told that he could have his beloved position back, as soon as he healed of course.

They’d heard the news in a tavern as they’d been escaping the coup, and Dandelion had gone horribly pale at the rumors that the Royal Investigator had been tortured and then sent from the palace, mostly dead.

Geralt had been (and still was) of the opinion that returning was utter foolishness, but Dandelion had threatened to return on his own, so the Witcher had no choice but to escort him.

“How is he?” he asked, finally deciding that Dandelion wasn’t going to acknowledge his presence without a bit of nudging.

“His fever broke.” The troubadour continued sponging a damp cloth over Ferrant’s forehead nonetheless.

“He’ll pull through.”

“Is that your subtle, _Witcherish_ , way of telling me I can leave now?”

“You do know he conspired to get me arrested?”

Dandelion chewed at his lip. “Well, yes, but he-”

“Was only following orders, yes I know.”

“I’m not leaving him, though you’re free to continue on without me.” The Witcher didn’t reply, so Dandelion curled up his lip in a most out of character sneer, “Geralt, I have four relatives that I am currently on speaking terms with, and that includes a third cousin who doesn’t even know we’re related. I’m not allowing that number to drop to three, even if you think it’s foolish.”

Geralt thought for a moment, then asked, “Who are the others?”

Dandelion gave him a bemused look. “I’d be honored that you’ve finally taken an interest in my family if not for the fact that I’m rather certain you intend to bribe me away from Ferrant by taking me to one of them.”

“The thought had crossed my mind.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke, then Dandelion said, “My third cousin is a professional Gwent player in Novigrad. I’m not certain he knows of our relationship, as I only know it thanks to Ferrant who has a thing for genealogy.”

“And you haven’t told him who you are?”

“No, and I don’t intend to.”

Geralt glanced back at Ferrant’s prone form. “Who are the others?”

“Ferrant’s father, actually,” he said after a moment, tilting his head. “Although to be entirely honest, it may just be for the purpose of annoying my father.”

The Witcher chuckled. “And the last one?”

“My half-brother, actually.”

Geralt raised an eyebrow. “You mean to tell me that your father’s golden child speaks to his bastard half-brother? Don’t lie to me, poetaster.”

“I’m not lying!” said Dandelion irritably. “He’s always been decent to me. He used to stop father from beating me so much when I was a child.” The poet chewed at his lip, as though aware he’d said more than he intended. For a man who talked about himself as much as Dandelion did, he rarely said anything of substance.

“Why?”

“He didn’t like the screams. Sensitive to noise, I suppose. I always thought I got my hearing from my mother, but perhaps it comes from our father.” 

Geralt sighed. “I didn’t mean _why did he stop you from being whipped_ , Dandelion, I meant _why does he still talk to you_?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Dandelion. “He came to one of my lectures at Oxenfurt several years ago and took me out for drinks.”

Geralt looked back at Ferrant, studying the unconscious man on the bed. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t.” He frowned. “But I understand they mean something to you, so I suppose I shall just live with it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Dandelion: Yes I suppose this guy that hunted me down to ask how I was doing only protected me because he hates noise. It can't be because he cares about me. No, why would he do that?


End file.
